This publication presents the state of art of the complex interactions in soil hydrology and the great advances achieved to simulate the dynamics of water movements and its interactions under various soil, crop, climate and land use management conditions. The book focuses on the description and applications of four public domain models developed by a core of scientific institutions under the auspices of the US Department of Agriculture. The models allow at different scales and in varying degrees of complexity to simulate the impact of various land use management practices under different ecological and climatic conditions.

The models include the widely applied SWAT model, allowing a detailed assessment of the soil and water dynamics in a watershed, including their spatial distribution; the APEX model developed with the specific aim of assessing the environmental impact of agricultural practices at whole farm and small watershed level; the WEPP model to estimate and predict erosion of soil and water conservation; and the RZWQM model for detailed modelling of movements of water and agricultural chemicals in the root zone.

Several case studies and applications are presented to demonstrate the capabilities of the models in land use and land management practices for different climate and ecosystems and soil and water management practices, including conservation agriculture practices. The use of the models for climate change impact assessment is further highlighted.

The publication will be of great interest for a wide group of scientists and students in various disciplines.